What's the Deal? Catalytic converter thefts

Some Midas auto repair shops in the Indianapolis area are offering to paint and etch your car's catalytic converter. The hope is that adding these features will make thieves think twice about taking it.
Catalytic converters are not cheap to replace.
It was an $800-ish kind of number.
Mike Nellinger knows because his wife's catalytic converter was stolen while parked in a hospital garage.
That's why he's having their cars' catalytic converters etched with the last 8 digits of the vehicle identification numbers...
and painted with high-temperature paint.
Nineteen Indy area Midas locations are offering the free service until Saturday.
Afterward, it's $20.
"If somebody takes it, there will be evidence that it's yours. I like that."
A catalytic converter works as an air pollution filter.
It takes the harmful gases created by the car and converts them into clean gases using pricey metals.
Palladium, rhodium, platinum are where the value actually is inside the catalyst inside the converters.
Chris Bruner with Midas said people stealing these parts is a huge problem.
Nationwide, catalytic converter thefts went up 1,215% between 2019 and 2022.
That because thieves can get up to $250 per part.
They do it efficiently. They do it quickly. So if you can stop that efficiency, then most of the time you're going to thwart that theft
Beck Service Center on the southside thought the same thing.
Back in 2021, they showed us how they weld a cage over the customer's converter.
This surveillance video shows the thieves leaving his truck alone after they see the cage under the truck.
In Indiana, stealing a catalytic converter is a felony. If dealers knowingly buy the stolen good, they could be charged with a felony too.

[@15heartz]

Seriously why does a catalytic converter cost the same price as a car is literally insane

[@Rezplz]

And yet the scrapyards still accept it. These places are supposed to ID and film whoever's selling?

[@vulcandawg7623]

laughs in straight pipes

[@freXampl]

Land of the free.

[@traestuart384]

Yeah, that'll show em who's boss😂😂😂

[@brittanymcdonaldbarr1106]

Just had mine stolen.

[@eilois]

it's liek kidney, the car still work just leave more unwanted stuff

[@nimidris5466]

But don’t painting it make it more obvious for thieves to steal

[@jadonmesfun6479]

Right they'll just steal unpainted ones with no codes which are the vast majority 😂😂😂.